Rolling mechanisms



March 14, 1961 E. F. w. MOELTZNER ET AL 2,974,549

ROLLING MECHANISMS Filed June 17, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Z FIG.I "T

INVENTORS [RNST Hen-z Mme-m fionrzun damwu Hf/u ATTORNEYS March 14, 1961 w, MOELTZNER E AL 2,974,549

ROLLING MECHANISMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1953 INVENTORS [emsr 5w". MLHELM Maura/ER Jo/m/wv Hy e; BY Y W ATTORNEYS March 14, 1961 EJF. w. MOELTZNER ET AL 2,974,549

ROLLING MECHANISMS Filed June 17, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 33-l4 FIG. 9

INVENTOR ERNST FRITZ WILHELM MOELT/LZN'ER JOHANN HUBL ATTORNEYS United States Patent ROLLING MECHANISMS Ernst Fritz Wilhelm Moeltzner, Berlin-Charlottenburg,

and Johann Hiibl, Berlin-Halensee, Germany, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Landis Machine Company, Waynesboro, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 17, 1953, Ser. No. 362,321 Claims priority, application Germany June 27, 1952 2 Claims. cl. 80-6) rotating in the same direction; Thepresent inventionis an improvement [upon thesubject matter disclosed and claimed in United States Patent No. 2,909,952 which relates to a mechanism of this kind in which rolls with spirally rising profile segments are .used as the rolling tools and an indexing mechanism, cam controlled in correspondence with the profile segments, is provided for a rotatively driven transfer cylinder which .surroundsone roll and has a plurality of recesses arranged equally spaced about its circumference for the work pieces. The indexing mechanism locks the transfer cylinder in position for the work pieceto be operated up on from beginning to end of the rolling path of each profile segment and releases the lock between two successive rolling paths of these profile segments.

Following the .unlatching of the transfer cylinder, in dexing thereof waseffected ,by frictionhetween the operating shaft and the transfer cylinder. As a result, the transfer cylinder moved at the same angular velocityas the roll. Thishadtheelfect that the rolls had an idle period correspondingtotthe spacing-on the transfer cylinder and thus to the distance between two successive carriers. The proportionate share of this idle space onsegmental rolls depends upon the size of the divisions and becomes proportionately greater, the greater the number of profile segments on the circumference of the roll. This idle space islost by the individual rolling path allowed by the length of' the profile segment. The output of the machine is reduced thereby, since thelength of the rolling path is determined by the diameter of the work piece to be rolled and fewer profile segments corresponding to this diameter can be formed on the circumference of the roll so that fewer work pieces are rolled per revolution.

These disadvantages are avoided by the foregoing invention whose object is to increase substantially the output of the machine. According to the invention this is accomplished by having the transfer cylinder, which is rotatable step by step and which has carriers for the work pieces, connected to a drive mechanism which imparts a greater angular velocity to the transfer cylinder than the rotative speed of the roll, when the transfer cylinder is unlatched and until it is latched again. The transfer cylinder is accelerated so that only a fraction of the time previously necessary is required for travelling over the same path of the step by step movement. Therefore the rolling time and the path corresponding thereto are increased.

The drive mechanism may consist of a resilient clutch mechanism, a multiple speed change drive, a latch mechanism under spring tension or other suitable means.

The subject matter of the invention is shown in the drawing in several exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a mechanism with resilient clutch in 1ongitudinal section,

Figure 1A is a'fragmentary section taken alongline index mechanism in different-positions,

Figure 7 is .a transversevertical section taken along line 7-1 of Figure 1,

v Figure 8 is aside .view .ofthe apparatus of Figures4, 5 and-6, and

Figure 9 is allongitudinal section of the-apparatus-of Figure 8. v

I The roll2 is secured. onthe driveshaft 1-by the key 3. The roll 2' is securedon the drive shaft -1' :by thekey 3. The transfer cylinder 4 has openingsS equally spaced about its circumferencefor transferring work pieces. The transfer cylinder surrounds the roll 2, is mounted .on'the clutch body 6 and is rotatable independently of theroll. The clutch body is connected to the drive shaft 1 by-the key 3. The index plate 7 is united with the transfer cylinder 4 by means of screws 7'. In front of the roll is mounted the spacing plate 8, which engages, by means of keying projections 8, corresponding grooves in the transfer cylinder and which carries the retaining ring .9. The distance between the retaining ring from the-r0112 can be changed by exchanging spacing plates and is adapted to work pieces to be rolled. Retaining ring-9 and spacing plate '8 are secured together'by screws 9. The recesses 8" in the spacing plate serve to receive the heads of cap screws. A ring 49 surrounds the index plate 7 and is secured to the frame 48' by a strap 50. Secured to the ring 49 by screws 51 is a plate '52 carrying an arm 53 pivotall-y supporting as at 54 acontrol lever 55. .At one end the lever 55 carries a plunger 56 which extends through a-suitableopening in the plate52 into the look; ing recesses 10 formed in the periphery of the index plate 7. The plunger 56is urged into locking .position by a spring57 mounted on the plate 52 by a cover assembly 58. At its opposite ,end the control lever 55 carries a roller 59 adapted to be periodically displaced by the cams 60 mounted on a ring 61 rotatable with the shaft 1'.

The hub of the index plate serves as a sleeve for mounting the transfer cylinder. The extensions 11 ofthe index plate engage the concentrically arranged recesses 12 of the inner clutch body 13 of the clutch. Compression springs 14 are mounted between the inner clutch body 13 and the extensions 11. The outer clutch body 6 is formed as a drum, as shown at 6', against whose inner wall lie the clutch jaws 15 under the pressure of springs 16, the clutch jaws being pivotally mounted by pins 15' on the inner clutch body 13.

The manner of operation is as follows:

Assuming that the locking plunger 56 latches the index plate 7 and therewith the transfer cylinder 4, the shaft 1 is driven in the direction of the arrow of Figure 2. At the same time the outer clutch body 6 is driven in the direction of the arrow. The inner clutch body 13 is carried along by the jaws 15 until the extensions 11 come into contact therewith, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. In

this position the springs 14 are compressed. The further rotational force is absorbed by the friction clutch members 15. At the moment the index plate is unlatched, the springs 14 expand, so that the extensions 11 assume the dot-dash position. Since this movement occurs abruptly and is in the same direction as the drive, the transfer Patented ,Mar. 14, 19.61

cylinder rotates into its new latching position at a higher speed.

The gear drive mechanism shown in Fig. 3 comprises the gears 17, 18, 19 and 20. On the hub 21 of the gear 17, which is connected to the drive shaft 1 by the key 3, the gear 20 is journalled. This gear 20, which is formed as an index plate with the index grooves 22, is connected to the transfer cylinder 4 by screws 23. Gears 18 and 19 are journalled on the adjacent shaft 24. The clutch ring 25 is mounted between the hubs of both gears. The gear 18 is positioned against the shoulder 26 of the shaft. The gear 19 is urged laterally by the compression spring 27, whose force is adjustable by means of the nuts 28. The meshing gears 17 and 18 have a multiple transmission ratio so that the transfer cylinder 4 is driven at a speed which is increased over that of the roll 2. The locking lever 29, which engages the index grooves 22, is urged into locking position as shown in Figure 3 by a compression spring 62. The cams 30, upon which the roller 31 rides, serve as a control means. In the position shown the transfer cylinder is latched. The longitudinally adjustable retaining ring 32 is mounted in front of the transfer cylinder, and is adjustable for different lengths of work pieces to be rolled, cap screws for example, and serves to retain the work pieces.

The manner of operation is as follows:

In the latched position of the transfer cylinder, the rotational drive resulting from the gears 17 and 18 is absorbed by the clutch ring 25, since the gear 19 is stationary. At the moment of unlatching, the transfer cylinder is driven through gears 17, 18, 19 and 20 until the transfer cylinder is again latched.

As a further embodiment, an index mechanism is shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, comprising the pawl 33, the latch 34 and the intermediate lever 35. The latch 34 is rockable about the pin 36. The locking projection 37 falls into the index grooves 38 of the index plate 39 which carries the ratchet wheel 40 and which is connected to the transfer cylinder, not shown in this drawing. The two-armed intermediate lever 35 is connected to the locking lever 34 by the pin 41. This pin carries the roller 42 which is contacted by the cams 30 (Figures and 6). The free end of the intermediate lever is engaged by the compression spring 43 and has an abutment 44, which, in the position of Fig. 4, is pressed against the abutting pin 45 of the latch 34.

The tension spring 46 is attached between the pawl 33 and the intermediate lever 35. The pawl and intermediate lever are linked together by the pin 47.

The manner of operation is as follows:

In the latched position of the transfer cylinder, the parts assume the position shown in Figure 4. When, in the continued movement of the control disk, the cam 30 strikes the roller 42, the latched condition is maintained. The pawl 33 remains in its position and the tension spring 46 is extended. This position is shown in Figure 5. When the index plate is unlatched (Fig. 6), the tension spring 46 pulls the pawl 33 toward the left and advancesthe ratchet wheel and therewith the transfer cylinder one division. In the next instant the parts assume the position of Fig. 4 in which the latch 34 again locks the index plate 39. The acceleration which is imparted to the transfer cylinder in its movement, depends upon the preloading and tensile strength of the spring.

We claim:

1. Means for transferring work pieces successively to a forming position between opposed rotatable forming rolls, comprising; a transfer cylinder surrounding one of said rolls, said cylinder having peripherally arranged carriers for said work pieces; means for locking said transfer cylinder against rotation to hold one of said carriers at said forming position; means for periodically rendering said locking means ineffective to permit rotation of said transfer cylinder; a first gear driven with said one of said rolls, a second gear rotatable with said transfer cylinder, said second gear being smaller than said first gear, a third gear smaller than said first gear and in engagement therewith, a fourth gear larger than said second gear and in engagement therewith, means drivingly connecting said third and fourth gears whereby when said locking means is rendered ineffective, to drive said transfer cylinder at a speed greater than the speed of said one of said rolls.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 together with a limited slip friction drive between said third and fourth gears whereby said transfer cylinder is held at rest when said locking means is operative.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

